Reusable container for bulk materials and other items

ABSTRACT

A container for shipping loose bulk materials, packaged products and other items. One embodiment of the container comprises a collapsible cylindrical wall portion with a pair of rigid discshaped head members capping the top and bottom ends of the wall portion. When the container is full, its top and bottom heads are kept apart by the container&#39;&#39;s contents. As the container is emptied its flexible wall portion gradually collapses until the contents are completely emptied, whereupon the collapsed container can be shipped in compact form back to its point of origin for reuse. The top and bottom heads of the container are detachable from the flexible wall portion so that any part of the container may be easily replaced if damaged. A second embodiment of the container is similar to the first except that the wall portion comprises a bendable sheet metal material wrapped around the top and bottom heads, with the edges of the sheet material detachably joined together. After being emptied, this latter container can be disassembled and its wall portion laid flat for compact shipment to its point of origin for reuse.

United States Patent 1191 Flanders May 7,1974

[ REUSABLE CONTAINER FOR BULK MATERIALS AND OTHER ITEMS [21] Appl. No.: 253,271

[52] US. Cl 229/5.7, 150/5, 220/55 AN, 220/67, 220/75 [51] Int. Cl Bd 5/36, B65d 7/42 [58] Field of Search 229/5.7; 217/91; 220/66, 220/67, 55 AM, 150/5, 3

[56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS R20,92O 11/1938 Nadelson 229/5.7 X

3,120,917 2/1964 Smith 229/5.7

831,719 9/1906 Hahn 220/ 2,751,109 6/1956 Moore 220/80 789,817 5/l905 Pyle et al.... 220/75 X 1,875,666 9/1932 Schwemlein 220/75 3,377,014 4/1968 Rocher 229/5.7 X 3,561,637 2/1971 McConnell 229/5.7 X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,267,972 6/1961 France .J. 229/5.7

Primary Examiner-William I. Price Assistant ExaminerStephen Marcus Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Daniel P. Chernoff; Jacob E. Vilhauer, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A container for shipping loose bulk materials, packaged products and other items. One embodiment of the container comprises a collapsible cylindrical wall portion with a pair of rigid disc-shaped head members capping the top and bottom ends of the wall portion. When the container is full, its top and bottom heads are kept apart by the containers contents. As the container is emptied its flexible wall portion gradually collapses until the contents are completely emptied, whereupon the collapsed container can be shipped in compact form back to its point of origin for reuse. The top and bottom heads of the container are detachable from the flexible wall portion so that any part of the container may be easily replaced if damaged. A second embodiment of the container is similar to the first except that the wall portion comprises a bendable sheet metal material wrapped around the top and bot-' tom heads, with the edges of the sheet material detachably joined together. After being emptied, this latter container can be disassembled and its wall portion laid flat for compact shipment to its point of origin for reuse.

l 4 Clairn s, 9 Drawing Figures REUSABLE CONTAINER FOR BULK MATERIALS AND OTHER ITEMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in containers for shipping loose bulk materials such as dried peas, grain, flour, seed, fertilizer and chemicals, and a variety of other items such as machine components and packaged commodities. These items are now generally shipped in burlap bags, paper bags, or relatively expensive paperboard containers or boxes, all of which are easily damaged in transit and cannot be reused after initial use. Consequently, substantial additional capital must be invested in new containers for each new shipment of goods, adding significantly to the cost of the goods.

Because nomreusable containers require repeated investment, it is not economical to build them with the sturdiness necessary to provide good mechanical protection for the contents during handling and transport, nor is' it economical to build them with sufficient strength that they can be stacked on top of each other to any appreciable height so as to eliminate the require ment for expensive shelving. Moreover, economic considerations make it impractical for such containers to incorporate sufficient bottom support to eliminate the need for pallets. A further drawback of present con tainer systems is that no standardized system is available for local or international transport of the aforementioned types of products, and therefore each item requires its own special handling, 'storage and transport techniques, adding further to the overall cost of the goods.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is directed to a durable, reusable container of the general type described having a surrounding wall portion capped at both its top and bottom ends by a respective detachable rigid head member. The wall portion may be constructed ofa flexible puncture resistant material having no integral supporting capability so that the container collapses auto.- matically as the contents are emptied or, alternatively, it may be constructed of a bendable sheet metal material which provides vertical support for the container. The flexible wall unit need not be disassembled for shipment since it automatically collapses into a compact unit when empty. It is, however, capable of disassembly so that damaged parts may be replaced without requiring replacement of the entire container. The bendable wall unit on the other hand must be disassembled, and its wall portion laid flat, for compactness in returning it to its point of origin.

The top and bottom head members respectively of the container are strong and durable, preferably with peripheral grooves formed in their edges. The detachable connection-between the wall portion and each of the respective head members is effected by means of a peripheral binder strap, insert member, and resilient gasket which clamp the-wall material tightly into the respective peripheral grooves of the head members. This structure permits extremely simple assembly and disassembly of the unit, requiring little special equipment or skill.

The unique features of the container of the present invention effectively overcome all of the deficiencies of containers presently used for shipping the aforementioned types of goods. The ability of the container to be collapsed or disassembled into a compact unit insures that the container can be shipped back to the point of origin without excessive transportion expense. This feature, coupled with the durability of the container, permits it to be reused economically many times, thereby eliminating the constant capital reinvestment in new containers for each new shipment. It is estimated that even if the container is reusable only four or five times, this will result in a one hundred percent reduction in present container costs. Furthermore, the fact that the container is reusable makes it economical to build into it the required strength necessary to provide adequate mechanical protection for the contents, thereby greatly reducing damage in transit. In addition, the walls of the container can economically be made strong enough so that the container, or its contents in the case of the foldable wall units, can support the load of other containers stacked on top to heights of between twelve and twenty feet, thereby eliminating the needfor expensive shelving in many cases. Moreover, the rigid head members may be constructed with sufficient strength that materials handling equipment, such as forklift trucks, can handle the containers without the need for pallets.

The fact that the components of the container are easily replaceable if damaged, and the fact that assembly and disassembly of the container is easily accomplished with little time or skill required, adds significantly to the overall economy of the system. In addition, the mechanical strength and scalability of the container allows it to be used for a great variety of different commodities regardless of their perishability or fragility, and makes it a truely universal type of container which may be utilized by most industries to standardize their methods of materials handling.

It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved container adaptible for use in shipping a wide variety of goods and capableof being collapsed or disassembled into a compact unit when empty for reshipment to its point of origin so that it can be reused many times.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a container constructed of durable components capable of affording a high degree of mechanical protection, scalability, and strength to prevent damage to products and simplify storage and handling techniques.

It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide a container having structural components which are easily replaceable if damage should occur, without the need for replacing the entire container.

The foregoing objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of the container having a collapsible wall portion.

FIG. 2 is an extended, partially sectional and partially exploded side view of the container of FIG. I, with certain portions broken away for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view of the structure by which the collapsible wall portion is attached to the respective head members.

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail view of an alternative structure by which the collapsible wall portion is attached to the respective head members.

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail view of an alternative type of head member, showing the structure by which the collapsible wall portion is attached.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a second embodiment of the container having a bendable sheetmetal wall portion rather than a collapsible wall portion.

FIG. 7 is a detail view of the wall portion of the embodiment of FIG. 6, showing the seam by which the edges of the wall portion are joined together.

FIG. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the structure by which the sheet metal wall portion is attached to the respective head members, taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7. I

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the seam by which the edges of the sheet metal wall are joined together, taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THEv PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The embodimentof the container utilizing a collapsible wall portion is designated generally as 10 in FIG. I, and comprises top and bottom disc-shaped head members 12 and 14 respectively, separated by a cylindrical flexible wall portion 16.

The wall portion 16 may be constructed of two exterior layers of paper with an inner mesh of nylon thread sandwiched between. The paper is of the high strength type, but the wall derives its primary strength from the nylon thread reinforcement which limits the deflection of the wall from the impact of pointed or blunt objects and thus prevents the rupture of the paper elements. The nylon mesh may be approximately A inch in each direction; however, a 5 9 inch mesh would triple the tear resistance of the paper. An alternative structure for the wall 16 might consist of a nylon mesh coated on both sides with rubber, neoprene, or a similar flexible material which is more resistant to weather, temperature and chemicals than is paper. Various other high strength woven thread mesh materials, such as m'ylar and other forms of polyester or polypropylene, may also be utilized in a form coated on both sides with the materials mentioned above. The strongest material combinations listed can resist puncture forces of up to 600 psi, ample to resist the force of forklift trucks and the rough handling encountered in international shipping. The wall thickness of the flexible materials may vary from 1/16 inch to 1 0 inch, depending on the strength requirements of the particular application.

Even thicker material may be desirable in certain applications, for example where exceptionally rough handling is to be expected, but the stiffness of such material may prevent it from collapsing satisfactorily. In such case the container will have to be disassembled for shipping in compact form.

The flexible wall material of the collapsible container 10 is preferably formed from flat stock with a double lock stitch or bonded seam (not shown) forming a cylindrical tube of the proper diameter. Alternatively, a crimp type metal seal could be utilized for the seam, but it should be of the articulated type to allow the side Walls to collapse properly as the container is emptied.

The top and bottom head members 12 and 14 respectively preferably comprise two layers of hardboard 18 with a thick layer of particleboard 20 glued between them. Since the flexible wall container 10 is best suited for loose bulk materials such as dried peas, rice, grain, wheat, flour, beans, lentils, grass seed and other such items, openings such as 22 and 24 in the top and bottom heads 12 and 14 respectively will normally be provided for filling and draining the contents of the container. Simple cover plates such as 26 and 28 respectively, fastened by screws 30 or any other suitable attaching means, can be utilized to close the openings.

The edges of the heads 12 and 14 respectively have peripheral grooves 32 and 34 formed around their circumferences. To assemble the container 10 the flexible wall material 16 is drawn into the grooves 32 and 34 respectively by means of a resilient gasket or O-ring 36 which is stretched around the material. An extruded plastic insert member or wedge-band 38 is next fitted around the exterior of the O-ring in the groove, as best seen in FIG. 2. Thereafter a tension band or binder strap 40, constructed of steel or high strength plastic fibers, is fitted into the exterior seat 42 of the insert 38 and is drawn tight to compress the o-ring until the wall material is tightly and sealingly clamped into the groove, as seen in FIG. 3. To replace any components of the assembly, the tension band is cut, the new parts are inserted, and the entire unit reassembled.

Several alternative structures for attaching the foldable wall portion 16 to the respective heads are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, the bottom head 14a is shown with a modified groove 34a having an optional rubber coating 44 lining its surface. In this construction a steel ring 46 replaces the wedge band 38 of the previous embodiment, but otherwise the principle by which the flexible wall 16 attaches to the head member is the same.

The structure of FIG. 5 is similar in all respects to that shown in FIG. 4 except that the bottom head member 14b is constructed of steel rather than the combination of hardboard and particleboard previously used. The groove 34b is formed by a steel flange 48 spot welded around the perimeter of the head member.

For those constructions requiring exceptionally thick flexible wall portions, it will probably be desirable that the grooves formed in the peripheral edges of the head members be more shallow since the wall material will not be so easily deformedqln such case, a steel O-ring surrounded by a binder strap will probably be sufficient to clamp the material in place.

No provision is made in the flexible wall container 10 for keeping the top and bottom heads 12 and 14 separated when the container is empty. Therefore the unit collapses automatically as the contents are emptied. When the container is full, the heads are kept apart in a parallel position by the contents, and the contents also support the load of other containers stacked on top. As more weight is imposed on the top, the walls become more rigid because of the column" effect. Such stacking requirements are one criteria for determining the required strength of the wall 16, so as to prevent it from bursting.

When empty, the container 10 collapses to approximately 1/ 1 5th of its fully extended vertical height. This ratio varies with the thickness of the wall material 16 and the thickness of the top and bottom heads 12 and 14, but on the average approximately fifteen to eighteen empty containers may be shipped back to their point of origin in the same space occupied by one full container. Thicker wall containers which do not collapse readily will be disassembled when empty and their flexible cylindrical wall portions laid flat for compact shipping to their point of origin.

A second embodiment of the container of the present invention is designated generally as 50 in FIG. 6. For certain types of cargo it may be desirable to use bendable sheet metal walls for the container, rather than the collapsible material utilized in the previous embodiment. The container 50, which is fabricated in this manner, comprises a sheet metal wall portion 52 wrapped around a pair of top and bottom head members 54 and 56, similar to the head members 12 and 14 of the previous embodiment.

One important difference characterizing the container 50 is the requirement for a vertical seam 58 for joining the two edges of the sheet metal wall portion 52 together. As best seen in FIG. 7, the two edges of the wall portion 52 each have an elongate indentation 60 and 62 respectively, and an interior back-up strip 64 is provided with a matching pair of indentations. An exterior clamping strip 66 may be similarly indented or may be flat, as desired. To assemble the container 50, the sheet metal wall portion 52 is simply wrapped around the top and bottom heads 54 and 56 respectively and the two indented edges of the wall are manually brought together. The interior back-up strip 64, which has been previously spot welded to one edge of the wall portion 52, is seated over the back of the indentation of the other wall edge. Then the exterior clamping strip '66 is positioned over the mated assembly and tightening screws or bolts 68 are driven by a power tool through holes in the clamping strip 66 into matching threaded recepticles in the interior back-up strip 64.

The top and bottom skirts of the sheet metal wall portion 52 include a series of slots 70 stamped out of the basic sheet material, leaving a series of ribs 72 between the slots. The ribs are deformed inwardly, as best seen in FIG. 8, to match the contour of the peripheral grooves in the top and bottom heads 54 and 56 respectively. The slots 70 enable the ribbed skirts of the wall portion 52 to be wrapped around the heads 54 and 56, after which the indented edges of the wall portion may be joined at the seam 58 in the manner-previously described. Thereafter an O-ring 36, insert member 38 and binding strap 40 are applied to seal the wall portion 52 to the head members in the same manner as described for the previous embodiment. As is evident from FIG. 8 the top of the slots 70 do not extend to the interior surface of the heads 54 and 56 respectively, thereby permitting a continuous seal to be formed between the wall 52 and the interior periphery of the heads 54 and 56 respectively.

When empty, the container 50 may be disassembled for shipment back to its point of origin with its bendable wall portion 52 laid flat for compactness. In its disassembled state it is estimated that approximately twenty such units may be shipped in the same space occupied by one full container.

Both the flexible wall and the bendable metal wall containers are preferably of the cylindrical type, with disc-shaped top and bottom head members. However such shapes may be varied if shipping or storing condicustomer applications. Openingsin the top and bottom head members will also vary according to material being shipped.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing abstract and specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitathe type of tion, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A container, for use in shipping loose bulk materials and other items, comprising: a pair of substantially rigid head members forming the top and bottom respectively of said container; surrounding wall means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members, said wall means being constructed of a flexible collapsible material for permitting said pair of head members to move toward closer proximity with one another as the contents of said container are emptied; binder strap means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members exterior of said wall means for connecting said wall means to said head members; means defining a peripheral groove formed in each of said respective head members for receiving a portion of said wall means; and an insert member interposed between said binder strap means and said wall means for tightly clamping said wall means into said groove.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said insert member includes a recess formed in its exterior surface for seating said binder strap means.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein a deformable gasket is provided between said insert member and said wall means for sealing the joint between said wall means and said respective head member.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein said peripheral groove and said insert member have mating, wedgeshaped surfaces.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein said peripheral groove and said insert member have mating, curved surfaces.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein said wall means includes a mesh of reinforcing fibers for increasing the resistance of said wall means to puncture.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein at least the top one of said head members includes means defining an. opening for permitting the filling of the contents of said container, said means defining said opening having no portion thereof protruding upwardly from said head member beyond the peripheral edges of said head member.

8. A container, for use in shipping loose bulk materials and other items, comprising: a pair of substantially rigid head members forming the top and bottom respectively of said container; surrounding wall means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members, said wall means comprising a stiff but bendable piece of sheet material with its two vertical edges detachably joined together to form an enclosure and adaptable, upon detachment of said two vertical edges from one another, to be laid flat; binder strap means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members exterior of said wall means for detachably connecting said wall means to said head members; a peripheral groove formed in each of said respective head members for receiving a portion of said wall means, said portion of said wall means being deformed so as to nest matingly within said groove; and an insert member interposed between said binder strap means and said deformed portion of said wall means for tightly clamping said portion of said wallmeans into said groove. I i

9. The container of claim 8 wherein said deformed portion of said wall means comprises a plurality of deformed ribs, each comprising a single thickness of said sheet material of said wall means, separated by slots formed in said wall means for permitting said wall means to be wrapped around each of said head members.

10. The container of I claim 3 wherein said insert member includes a recess formed in its exterior surface for seating said binder strap means.

11. The container of claim 8 wherein a deformable gasket is provided between said insert member and said wall means for sealing the joint between said wall means and said respective head member.

12. The container of claim 8 wherein said peripheral I groove, said insert member and said deformed ribs all have mating wedge-shaped surfaces.

13. A container, for use in shipping loose bulk materials and other items, comprisin g: a pair of substantially rigid head members forming the top and bottom respectively of said container; surrounding wall means detachably joined to the peripheries of said respective head members, said wall means comprising a stiff but bendable piece of sheet material surrounding the interior of said container with its two vertical edges detachably joined together, each said edge having an elongate indentation formed therein; a strip of material located on the interior of said wall means spanning the joint between said vertical edges for detachably joining said edges together, said strip of material having a pair of elongate indentations formed therein adaptable for nesting said respective elongate indentations formed in each said vertical edge, said indented strip of material on the interior of said wall means being permanently fixed to one of said respective vertical edges of said wall means for convenience in assembling said container.

14. The container of claim 13 wherein a second strip of material is provided exterior of said wall means spanning the joint between said respective vertical edges of said wall means and having a plurality of apertures therein for permitting the insertion of threaded fastening members between said respective vertical edges, said indented strip on the interior of said wall means having threaded recepticles aligned with said apertures for receiving said fastening members.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,809304 Dated May 7, 1974 Inventofls) Robert, D. Flanders It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent'are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 5, Line 38 Change 'recepticles" to -receptacles--.

Claim 10, Line 21- Change "claim 3" to --claim 8-.

Claim 14, Line 28 Change "recepticles" to- --receptacles--.

v Signed and sealed this 1st day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PC4050 (10459) v USCOMM-DC scan-ps9 U. 5. GOVERNMENT 'IIIITING OFFICE Ill 0-3C-SJ 

1. A container, for use in shipping loose bulk materials and other items, comprising: a pair of substantially rigid head members forming the top and bottom respectively of said container; surrounding wall means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members, said wall means being constructed of a flexible collapsible material for permitting said pair of heAd members to move toward closer proximity with one another as the contents of said container are emptied; binder strap means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members exterior of said wall means for connecting said wall means to said head members; means defining a peripheral groove formed in each of said respective head members for receiving a portion of said wall means; and an insert member interposed between said binder strap means and said wall means for tightly clamping said wall means into said groove.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein said insert member includes a recess formed in its exterior surface for seating said binder strap means.
 3. The container of claim 1 wherein a deformable gasket is provided between said insert member and said wall means for sealing the joint between said wall means and said respective head member.
 4. The container of claim 1 wherein said peripheral groove and said insert member have mating, wedge-shaped surfaces.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein said peripheral groove and said insert member have mating, curved surfaces.
 6. The container of claim 1 wherein said wall means includes a mesh of reinforcing fibers for increasing the resistance of said wall means to puncture.
 7. The container of claim 1 wherein at least the top one of said head members includes means defining an opening for permitting the filling of the contents of said container, said means defining said opening having no portion thereof protruding upwardly from said head member beyond the peripheral edges of said head member.
 8. A container, for use in shipping loose bulk materials and other items, comprising: a pair of substantially rigid head members forming the top and bottom respectively of said container; surrounding wall means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members, said wall means comprising a stiff but bendable piece of sheet material with its two vertical edges detachably joined together to form an enclosure and adaptable, upon detachment of said two vertical edges from one another, to be laid flat; binder strap means wrapped around the periphery of each of said respective head members exterior of said wall means for detachably connecting said wall means to said head members; a peripheral groove formed in each of said respective head members for receiving a portion of said wall means, said portion of said wall means being deformed so as to nest matingly within said groove; and an insert member interposed between said binder strap means and said deformed portion of said wall means for tightly clamping said portion of said wall means into said groove.
 9. The container of claim 8 wherein said deformed portion of said wall means comprises a plurality of deformed ribs, each comprising a single thickness of said sheet material of said wall means, separated by slots formed in said wall means for permitting said wall means to be wrapped around each of said head members.
 10. The container of claim 3 wherein said insert member includes a recess formed in its exterior surface for seating said binder strap means.
 11. The container of claim 8 wherein a deformable gasket is provided between said insert member and said wall means for sealing the joint between said wall means and said respective head member.
 12. The container of claim 8 wherein said peripheral groove, said insert member and said deformed ribs all have mating wedge-shaped surfaces.
 13. A container, for use in shipping loose bulk materials and other items, comprising: a pair of substantially rigid head members forming the top and bottom respectively of said container; surrounding wall means detachably joined to the peripheries of said respective head members, said wall means comprising a stiff but bendable piece of sheet material surrounding the interior of said container with its two vertical edges detachably joined together, each said edge having an elongate indentation formed therein; a strip of material located on the interior of said wall means spanning the joint between said vertical edges for detachably joining said edges together, said strip of material having a pair of elongate indentations formed therein adaptable for nesting said respective elongate indentations formed in each said vertical edge, said indented strip of material on the interior of said wall means being permanently fixed to one of said respective vertical edges of said wall means for convenience in assembling said container.
 14. The container of claim 13 wherein a second strip of material is provided exterior of said wall means spanning the joint between said respective vertical edges of said wall means and having a plurality of apertures therein for permitting the insertion of threaded fastening members between said respective vertical edges, said indented strip on the interior of said wall means having threaded recepticles aligned with said apertures for receiving said fastening members. 